Apparatus for transferring stacks of paper



, April 4, 1967 w. ov 3,312,359

APPARATUS FOR TRANSFERRING STACKS OF PAPER Filed March 29, l965 INVENTOR. MM

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ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,312,359 APPARATUS FOR TRANSFERRING STACKS OF PAPER William Glover, Denton Burn, Newcastle-on-Tyne, England, assignor to Koninklijke Nederlandsche Papierfabrick N.V., Maastricht, Netherlands Filed Mar. 29, 1965, Ser. No. 443,544 2 Claims. (Cl. 214-42) This invention relates to an apparatus for successively processing stacks of paper, which comprises a table movable in a direction of travel from an initial position to an end position and back, a stop member movable upwardly and downwardly in synchronism with the movement of said movable table for arresting a stack of paper from being carried along by said table during the return movement of the latter, clamping means actuated in synchronism with the movement of said movable table and moving along with the latter for clamping paper on to the movable table during the forward movement thereof, and a table which is stationary relative to said movable table.

As defined in these terms, such an apparatus is disclosed in Netherlands patent specification No. 104,600 particularly for packaging stacks of paper. Such an apparatus has the disadvantage that, as a resultof the forces of acceleration the sheets in a stack of paper are liable to become mis-aligned as a stack is pushed against guide rules or the like, especially when the machine has to operate at a high rate of production. A further drawback of the prior machine, in which pusher members push a stack of paper placed on the stationary table over this table on to the movable table, is that these pusher members must first return into their initial position before a new stack can be placed on the stationary table, which involves a reduction of that part of the work cycle which is available for feeding a new stack of paper in position on the stationary table. This reduction involves a decrease in the production capacity of the machine, which induces compensation by a change in the subdivision of the work cycle at the sacrifice of the time available for the movement of the table, which in turn involves larger forces of acceleration and hence increases the chance of mis-alignment within the stacks of paper.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved apparatus of the type described, thereby to minimize the said drawbacks.

In an apparatus according to the present invention, the stationary table is spaced a short distance above the movable table, and clamping means movable along with said movable table are so arranged that, when the movable table is in its initial position, they are adjacent to, but in front of, the leading edge of the stationary table, as viewed in the direction of travel, so as to be capable of engaging an end of a stack located on said stationary table and projecting from said leading edge to clamp said stack to the movable table and pull it along during the forward movement of the movable table.

The said leading edge of the stationary table is preferably bevelled downwardly.

The result is that a next stack of paper can be laid on the stationary table as soon as the preceding stack has been pulled from it, while said preceding stack is conveyed on the movable table in clamped condition, so that the sheets in the stack cannot become mis-aligned. In the operation of the machine according to the invention, it turns out, surprisingly, that the sheets in a stack do not become deleteriously mis-aligned when the leading portion of such stack is bent down over the leading edge of the stationary table and is clamped to the movable table. When the bent leading portion of the stack of paper is clamped down, the position of all sheets relative to the movable table is ensured, and the remaining portion of 3,312,359 Patented Apr. 4-, 1967 the stack can be drawn off the stationary table and adapt itself to the movable tab-1e without an ultimate relative displacement of the sheets within the stack.

The invention will be further described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate diagrammatically a sideview of one embodiment of the apparatus according to the invention in three different positions.

FIG. 1 shows a movable table 1, in its initial position, mounted for to-and-fro movement by means of travelling wheels 2 on rails 3 of the machine frame, and it will be noted that the table 1 extends partly under a stationary table 4. On the stationary table 4 is a stack of paper 5, placed in the initial position against guide rules 6 and 7. The position of guide rule 6 is adjustable to suit the size of the paper sheets, in such a fashion that the leading portion 8 of the stack 5 projects from the leading edge 9 of the stationary table 4 and rests on the movable table by gravity. There is thus formed a curved transition zone between the leading edge 8 of the stack and the trailing portion, which, in virtue of the fact that the major portion of the stack is still on the stationary table, surprisingly does not result in any disarrangement of the stack. The leading edge 9 of the stationary table 4, which has naturally some thickness, is provided with a downward taper or bevel to match the curve of the paper stack.

The movable table 1 is connected with a support struc ture 10 which moves along with it and carries clamps '11 and 12. Just before the table 1 starts moving to the left, as viewed in the drawing, the clamps 11 move downwardly and clamp the leading portion 8 of the stack of paper to the table 1. Thereafter the table 1 moves to the left, and carries the paper stack 5 with it, thereby pulling it off the stationary table 4. As soon as the stack has been carried clear of the table 4, a next stack 5' can be fed into position. During this operation, the table 1 moves to its end position, as shown in FIG. 2, in which a stop member 13, provided with a rule, moves downwardly behind the stack 5, so that when the table 1 returns the stack 5 is restrained relative to the table 1. Just before the table returns the clamps 11 and .12 move upwardly and release the stack.

During its return movement the table slides under the leading portion 8 of the stack 5', meanwhile fed into position, until it has again reached its initial position, and the stack 5' can be clamped down by clamps 11, whereafter the cycle is repeated.

Simultaneously, or about simultaneously, with the downward movement of the clamps .11, the clamps 12 also move downwardly, and clamp the end 8 of the stack 5, which is now left of the stop member 13, to the table 1 (see FIG. 3), so that the stack 5 is carried further to the left without any chance of becoming disarranged. It will 'be evident that in this manner the stack 5 can be advanced stepwise over a table 1 of any given length. Before the return movement of the table 1, the stop member 13 moves upwardly, so that the next stack 5' can pass under it.

Although this invention has been described in the light of one specific embodiment, it will be evident that those skilled in the art can readily make modifications and variations without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in and by the following claims.

I claim:

1. A device for feeding stacks of paper to another device, comprising a movable table to carry said stacks of paper, means to reciprocate said movable table horizontally between a first and a second position, clamping means, means mounting said clamping means vertically movably above said movable table, said mounting means being connected to said movable table to move said clamping means horizontally along with said movable table, actuating means to move said clamping means downwardly when said movable table is in said first position and upwardly when said movable table is in said second position, said actuating means being adapted to maintain said clamping means pressed on a stack of paper when carried by said movable table moving from said first to said second position, a stationary table arranged slightly above the top level of said movable table and forming therewith at least when said movable table is in said first position a substantially uninterrupted support horizontally for said stacks of paper, said clamping means being positioned relative to said movable table to be moved downwardly thereto when said movable table is in said first position in a location adjacent to but in front of the edge of said stationary table facing said clamping means so as to be adapted to engage an end of a stack of paper positioned on said stationary table and projecting from said edge to clamp said end to said movable table, arresting means and means mounting said arresting means horizontally stationary and vertically movably above said movable table, and actuating means to move said arresting means downwardly when said movable table is in said second position and upwardly when said movable table is in said first position.

2. A device according to claim '1, in which the edge of said stationary table facing said clamping means is bevelled downwardly.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,499,971 7/1924 Callison 214-38 2,609,110v 9/1952 Tesch 214--l6.4 2,831,213 4/1958 Klarmann et al. 21416.6 X

GERALD M. FORLENZA, Primary Examiner.

ROBERT G. SHERIDAN, Examiner. 

1. A DEVICE FOR FEEDING STACKS OF PAPER TO ANOTHER DEVICE, COMPRISING A MOVABLE TABLE TO CARRY SAID STACKS OF PAPER, MEANS TO RECIPROCATE SAID MOVABLE TABLE HORIZONTALLY BETWEEN A FIRST AND A SECOND POSITION, CLAMPING MEANS, MEANS MOUNTING SAID CLAMPING MEANS VERTICALLY MOVABLY ABOVE SAID MOVABLE TABLE, SAID MOUNTING MEANS BEING CONNECTED TO SAID MOVABLE TABLE TO MOVE SAID CLAMPING MEANS HORIZONTALLY ALONG WITH SAID MOVABLE TABLE, ACTUATING MEANS TO MOVE SAID CLAMPING MEANS DOWNWARDLY WHEN SAID MOVABLE TABLE IS IN SAID FIRST POSITION AND UPWARDLY WHEN SAID MOVABLE TABLE IS IN SAID FIRST POSITION POSITION, SAID ACTUATING MEANS BEING ADAPTED TO MAINTAIN SAID CLAMPING MEANS PRESSED ON A STACK OF PAPER WHEN CARRIED BY SAID MOVABLE TABLE MOVING FROM SAID FIRST TO SAID SECOND POSITION, A STATIONARY TABLE ARRANGED SLIGHTLY ABOVE THE TOP LEVEL OF SAID MOVABLE TABLE AND FORMING THEREWITH AT LEAST WHEN SAID MOVABLE TABLE IS IN SAID FIRST POSITION A SUBSTANTIALLY UNINTERRUPTED SUPPORT HORIZONTALLY FOR SAID STACKS OF PAPER, SAID CLAMPING MEANS BEING POSITIONED RELATIVE TO SAID MOVABLE TABLE TO BE MOVED DOWNWARDLY THERETO WHEN SAID MOVABLE TABLE IS IN SAID FIRST POSITION IN A LOCATION ADJACENT TO BUT IN FRONT OF THE EDGE OF SAID STATIONARY TABLE FACING SAID CLAMPING MEANS SO AS TO BE ADAPTED TO ENGAGE AN END OF A STACK OF PAPER POSITIONED ON SAID STATIONARY TABLE AND PROJECTING FROM SAID EDGE TO CLAMP SAID END TO SAID MOVABLE TABLE, ARRESTING MEANS AND MEANS MOUNTING SAID ARRESTING MEANS HORIZONTALLY STATIONARY AND VERTICALLY MOVABLY ABOVE SAID MOVABLE TABLE, AND ACTUATING MEANS TO MOVE SAID ARRESTING MEANS DOWNWARDLY WHEN SAID MOVABLE TABLE IS IN SAID SECOND POSITION AND UPWARDLY WHEN SAID MOVABLE TABLE IS IN SAID FIRST POSITION. 